A flight school pilot in Argentina jumped to his death during a lesson, forcing his student to land the plane on her own. The incident occurred in Toledo, in the Cordoba province, on Saturday. The pilot, Leandro Andres Bertazzo, 42, was found dead following the incident. The country's public prosecutor's office confirmed the details in a statement on Tuesday.
Bertazzo was in a Cessna aircraft with a 22-year-old student, identified only as Rosario, when the incident occurred. According to Rosario, Bertazzo told her to continue with the lesson before taking off his headset, putting away his cellphone, unfastening his seatbelt, opening the plane door, and jumping to his death. The aircraft was about 850 feet in the air at the time of the incident.
Rosario was able to maintain control of the Cessna and land it safely. She immediately contacted authorities and directed them to the area where Bertazzo fell. The pilot's body was found in the area, and his death was confirmed by emergency crews. The aircraft did not sustain any damage during the incident.
There were no indications that Bertazzo had planned to exit the plane mid-lesson, according to the director of Flying Parrot Córdoba, the flight school where Bertazzo worked. The director noted that opening the door of a plane in mid-air is extremely difficult and that Bertazzo's decision was unexpected. The student pilot was in complete shock after the incident but managed to safely land the aircraft.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and no formal complaints have yet been filed. Bertazzo was a highly experienced pilot who had previously worked as a flight instructor in Chile. His family reported that he had been going through a difficult time and had sought psychiatric help before his death.
The public prosecutor's office is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Bertazzo's death. The incident has raised questions about the pilot's state of mind and the events leading up to his decision to exit the plane mid-flight. The investigation is expected to provide more information about the incident in the coming days.
